Christian Pulisic

Christian Pulisic

Personal information
Full name	Christian Mate Pulisic
Date of birth	(1998-09-18) September 18, 1998
Place of birth	Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States
Height
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Borussia Dortmund
Number	22
Youth career
2005-2006	Brackely Town
2008–2015	PA Classics
2015–2016	Borussia Dortmund
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2016–	Borussia Dortmund	9	(2)
International career‡
2013	United States U15	10	(2)
2013–2015	United States U17	34	(20)
2016–	United States	3	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of April 23, 2016 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of May 28, 2016 (UTC)

Christian Mate Pulisic (Croatian: Pulišić, born September 18, 1998) is an American professional soccer player who plays for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga. Pulisic is considered by many to be a top American soccer prospect, and is the youngest player to represent the senior national team in a FIFA World Cup qualifier. His rapid rise with the US youth national teams has been mirrored by his rapid rise through the Borussia Dortmund academy, where he played just 15 games before being brought into the first team during the 2015–16 winter break.

In April of 2016, he became the youngest foreigner to score a goal in the Bundesliga. Later that month, he became the youngest player to ever score two goals in the Bundesliga. Furthermore, on May 28, 2016, he scored in an international friendly against Bolivia to become the youngest player to ever score a goal for the United States at 17 years 253 days old.

Early and personal life

Pulisic grew up in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Pulsic lived in England for a year at the age of seven and gained his first experience of playing the game while in the country playing in the youth system of Brackely Town. His father Mark Pulisic played professional indoor soccer for the Harrisburg Heat in the 1990s. Pulisic grew up playing for local youth club PA Classics as well as sometimes training with an local professional club Harrisburg City Islanders during his teen years.

During his early years, Pulisic moved to Michigan and played for Michigan Rush.

Pulisic's grandfather was born in Croatia, and he applied for Croatian citizenship after moving to Germany (and the European Union) in order to avoid having to apply for a German work visa.

Pulisic has a cousin, Will, who has also represented the United States at under-17 level, as a goalkeeper. In March 2016, he announced that he too would be moving to Borussia Dortmund.

Career

Borussia Dortmund

2015–16

On January 4, 2015, Borussia Dortmund signed 16-year-old Pulisic and assigned him first to their U17 squad and in Summer 2015 to the U19. After scoring 10 and assisting 8 in just 15 games with the Dortmund youth teams, Pulisic was called to join the first team over winter break.

In January 2016, while with the first team in the winter break, Pulisic played the second half of two games, scoring one goal and assisting another. On January 24, a day after making his debut on the first team bench, Pulisic played 90 minutes in a friendly against FC Union Berlin, scoring a goal and assisting another. He made his Bundesliga debut in a 2–0 win against FC Ingolstadt 04 on January 30, 2016, coming on as a second-half substitute for Adrián Ramos. On February 18, Pulisic made his UEFA Europa League debut as a second-half substitute in a 2–0 victory against FC Porto.

Pulisic made his first Bundesliga start on February 21, against Bayer Leverkusen before eventually being substituted for Marco Reus. He made his second Bundesliga start on April 10, against FC Schalke 04 in the Revierderby, playing 73 minutes before being replaced by İlkay Gündoğan. In response to Pulisic's performance against Schalke, team manager Thomas Tuchel said, "He's a teenager in his first year of professional football. His first two games in the starting eleven were in Leverkusen and here today in Schalke – not the easiest of tasks. It shows our huge appreciation that we see him as a full time player on our team. He was a valuable substitute against Werder Bremen and Liverpool. He has looked really good recently which has been proved today. It is completely normal that he could not have played with this pace and this intensity for over 90 minutes."

Pulisic scored his first Bundesliga goal for Borussia Dortmund on April 17, opening the scoring in a 3–0 home win against Hamburger SV. It made him the youngest non-German and fourth-youngest player to score a goal in the Bundesliga, at just 17 years and 212 days old. With his goal against VfB Stuttgart on April 23, Pulisic broke another Bundesliga scoring record by becoming the youngest player to score two goals in the top-flight league. The game also marked his first yellow card in the Bundesliga, as a result of a challenge on Emiliano Insúa.

International

Pulisic has represented the United States at the U-15 and U-17 levels. He captained the US U-17 national team at the 2015 U17 World Cup in Chile, where he had a goal and an assist in three games. Pulisic scored 20 goals in 34 games with the U17's during his two-year cycle with the team.

On March 27, 2016, Pulisic was called up to the Senior team by coach Jürgen Klinsmann ahead of a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying game against Guatemala. Two days later, he made his debut in that match, a 4–0 win at the Mapfre Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, as an 81st-minute substitute for Graham Zusi; making him cap-tied to the United States. He became the youngest American to play a World Cup qualifier.

Pulisic was included on May 21, 2016 in Klinsmann's squad for the United States' hosting of the Copa América Centenario. Pulisic scored against Bolivia in a friendly on May 28, 2016, becoming the youngest player to score for the United States in the 4-0 win over Bolivia.

Career statistics

Club

As of April 23, 2016.

Club	Season	League			Cup		Continental		Total		Ref.
		League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Borussia Dortmund	2015–16	Bundesliga	9	2	0	0	3	0	12	2
Career totals			9	2	0	0	3	0	12	2	—

International

As of May 28, 2016

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
United States	2016	3	1
	Total	3	1

International goals

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	May 28, 2016	Children's Mercy Park, Kansas City, United States	Bolivia	4–0	4–0	Friendly